Homecomings should always be so grand.
Since September Marc Cazorla, Alex Stiff and Chris Vos have racked up some mighty road miles traversing the country taking on venues and audiences on their biggest national headlining tour yet. This was a milestone for Los Angeles’ The Record Company: a trio of upright and forthright rock and rollers with heady respect for blues, punk, soul, classic rock, R&B and all points in between who meld years worth of experience and musicianship into an extraordinary something that’s electric and rootsy and raw. Many of those headlining shows sold out including the one in their adopted hometown of LA which was flush with the long-time faithful, as well as the newly devoted – all of whom know a good thing when they see and hear it.
Since their 2011 inception in Stiff’s living room, The Record Company have been the recipients of an abundance of praise, support, good will and love from friends, family and fans (and there’s lots of overlap among those categories) as the band honed its craft in record stores and local LA stages to major cities as a support act. On Thursday November 17th all of that emotional goodness was given back from whence it came, from the men on the El Rey stage to every occupant in the room. In between the crooning and the wailing, the shredding and the harmonica (said harmonica went home with young kid in the front row), the cymbals crashing and strident bass lines…in between and amongst it all, Vos gave up the band’s gratitude with humility as pure as spring water while they all gave up a soul deep and electrifying show. As a fan, it was impossible not to catch feelings; we simply love what they do and how well they do it. We love the sweat and Delta blues stomp, the swagger and passion, the hustle and drive. We love Beastie Boys covers, Cazorla’s sock choices and the fact that the guys make the sacrifice of bidding farewell to band mascot, Seger, for stretches of time in order spread the musical gospel of TRC far and wide. We love the “this is where we belong” energy they exude when “On The Move” goes off the hook and the joy on the faces of those next to us who can’t stop dancing. It’s bearing witness to rock and roll dreams coming true on the dreamer’s home turf…because homecomings should always be so grand.
Photo Credit: Zb Images